Labornet Japan is a network of citizens, unionists, activists, scholars and others from all walks of life to share information especially about rights and struggles in and outside of Japan. Established in 2001, the group now has more than 500 members, and the membership is growing. The English site introduces some reports shared on Labornet Japan website and other sources outside of Japan.

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

In the morning of March 27, 450 people gathered in central Nagoya city for a demonstration to stop the operation of Hamaoka nuclear power plant run by the Chubu Electric Power Company. They paraded the busy streets with colorful placards in their hands. The rally started at 10:30, by which time the venue, Hisaya Odori Park Bus Terminal, was packed with people. They were all desperate to do something about the nuclear crisis. The participants all had brought colorful placards showing their personal messages. The parade was called for by young leaders, so it was full of innovative expression. (KIMURA Jo)

This is a report of our relief activities in the town of Minamisanriku, Miyagi Prefecture. Our union, Zentoitsu Union, and the Solidarity Network with Migrants Japan set up a“Relief team without a name”to support tsunami survivors, especially migrant workers. The team sent its first load of relief goods on March 20. The next load was sent on March 27 with a 10 ton truck. A volunteer acupuncturit was on the truck to care the survivors. The acupuncture service went on for four hours and the patients were eager for another service next week. There were two moving encounters. We were able to find out and meet the ex-president of the union local at Shizugawa super market. This relief activity started from concerns for his safety. Second, we met a group of thirteen Filipinas, who were helping to sort out the relief goods. They all lost their living by tsunami. We were able to get information of other foreigners living in the local community.(TORII Ippei, Zentoitsu Union)Photo: Loading the truck with relief goods

A 63 years -old male evacuee from Futaba-cho, near the Fukushima nuclear power plant, expressed his feelings at his evacuation cite at the Saitama Arena. “I used to work for a major enterprise in Iwaki city until 58. I was a union official there, but retired earlier than the fixed retirement age of 60 and went back home in Futaba-cho to work in the paddy fields. I wanted to stay there, because I’m old enough not to care about the radiation. So I had my grandchildren and their mother leave, but I didn’t move. There were three others who said they will stick to the last, but we were forced to evict by the self defense force. I was raising cows, so it was hard to leave them behind. I’m through with TEPCO. There is no easy way to reconstruction. We won’t be able to sell vegetables even if we could make them.Some people blame the government, but TEPCO is the main culprit. TEPCO is planning a rolling blackout in Saitama, but it is not carried out as planned. They are fooling us around. I used to be active in the union and was against nuclear power plants.”(ETO Takumi)Photo: evacuation cite at Saitama Arena

On 2pm March 27, a march protesting the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident started from the Mizutani-bashi Park in Ginza, Tokyo. The participants wore colorful costumes and drew attention from the passers-by in Sunday downtown Tokyo. As the parade neared the Tokyo Electric Power Company head office, the anger of the participants, who have anticipated the disaster and warned over and over again, boiled up to its height. “Electricity shortage is a great lie!””Don’t deregulate the limit of radiation!””Stop all nuclear power plants now!” Strong fists, chants and banners were directed to the main office building of TEPCO. The end point of the parade was Hibiya Park and the public hall in the Park was completely surrounded by the participants. The convener of the parade registered 20 participants to the police, but the final turnout was 12 hundred. The parade was a huge success. (Y)Cartoon: IchihanahanaMovie: U-tube

Individual-affiliated unions across the nation set up “Quake Hotline to protect jobs” on March 26 to cope with the spread of unpaid layoffs after the East JapanGreat Earthquake. Nagoya Fureai Union was in charge of Aichi Prefecture and received 24 consultations related to the Earthquake. A part-time women worker complained that her employer told her to take a leave of absence and wait for a recall, butdidn’t call back, so she couldn’t pay her rent. A temping agency worker was told that he would get paid only for the days he had worked and could not make ends meet.All these claims were from areas not affected by the earthquake and their employers were not suffering direct damage from the quake.(SAKAI Toru)Photo: Nagoya Fureai Union

Fukushima nuclear plant “is in a fairly dangerous sate,” Makoto Yanagida, representative of Tanpopo-sha, said on Labornet TV on March 17 as he explained other issues related to radiation and evacuation in simple terms. “We need no electricity that forces deadly work to our fellow working men,” Yanagida said at the end of the program. “We must alternate the source of electricity with coal, hydro and recycled energy. An earthquake may be natural disaster, but the nuclear explosion is caused by a human error. The central government and TEPCO must be held accountable for this. To turn this crisis around to a better future, we should rely on nuclear power plants. I will continue speaking out for the next generation.” Tanpopo-sha plans to hold a rally and a series of lectures on the current state of the power plant and tips on protection against radiation. The lecture is from March 18 thorugh 21. (By M) See archive (Tanpopo-sha starts at 15 minutes into the program) Tanpopo-sha HP

I am in Sendai City. I was finally able to confirm safety of the union members and their families. I assume the areas along Sanriku coast are completely destroyed. It may take more than 10 years to reconstruct the areas. It seems like there are bodies being washed up at the coast where I used to go fishing all the time. We don’t know where to even start. I have so much to say to TEPCO and the government. The situation became serious because they forced the nuclear plants upon the locals by saying that it was safe. The company’s vows on safety and emergency countermeasures were all a myth and a lie. A warning has been issued, but elderly and the sick people are left behind. No one can go and rescue them. The DVD rental store, TUTAYA, invited people to come and rent a video or two to take a break from a flood of earthquake news. What are they thinking? People are made. And Ishihara. I will never forgive him. An apology is not enough. It is unbelievable that he acts as though he knows it all, being in Tokyo. I want the people in Tokyo to hear me. (Yoshikazu Takahashi, Electric Union, Miyagi Godo) Report from Miyagi Zenrokyo HP

Radiation continues to leak as of March 15 as Fukushima Daiichi Plant is still in a critical state. Tens of thousands watched emergency press conferences consecutively held by Nuclear Resource Center and Masashi Goto, architectural engineer of a nuclear power plant, on UStream. “The situation is already out of our hands,” Goto said. “Unfortunately, it will only get worse.” During the press conference, media reported that a slight level of radiation was detected in Tokyo and neighboring regions. The resource center staff answered the questions sent in by the viewers. The resource center announced a clear message on this day. View press conference (March 15 I and II), Nuclear Resource Center HP福島原発事故で放射能拡散！首都圏でも検出～「原子力資料情報室」が断続的に会見 3月15日、福島第一原発は極めて危険な状態が続き、放射能の漏洩が続いている。以下のサイトで、「原子力資料情報室」および後藤政志さん（元原子炉設計者）のユーストリーム緊急会見が断続的に行われ、万単位の人が視聴した。後藤さんは「すでに限界を超えている。残念ながらこの規模が拡大していくと思う」と危惧を表明した。会見の間にも、首都圏各地で微量の放射能が検知されたというニュースが飛び込んだ。視聴者からは次々に疑問・質問が寄せられ、「原子力資料情報室」のスタッフが丁寧に回答した。この日、「原子力資料情報室」は問題点を明確にしたメッセージを発表した。・会見録画（15日その1） ・会見録画（15日その2） ・原子力資料情報室HP

The Tokyo High Court handed down ruling on ‘Hinomaru/ Kimigayo’ lauwsuit on March 10. The court ruled that it annulled reprimand enforced by the Tokyo schools. The court overturned the lower court’s decision. On the same day, there was another lawsuit on Kimigayo, and the same judge also dismissed the reprimand. The court also dismissed demand for compensation from the defendant. Although the ruling said that the 10.23 notice, which imposes ‘Hinomaru/ Kimigayo’ rule on teachers, and orders do not violate constitution, it meant a great deal to the plaintiffs to receive the ruling. (By Masanori Yumoto) View Union Tube

Some 110 people gathered for the 2011 International Women’s Day Aichi Rally on March 8. “This is the day, when women across the world stood up 101 years ago for suffrage, protest against war and for food,” Masue Ando, director of Shin-Nihon Fujin Aichi headquarters and a committee of the rally. “We should work to improve the quality of life as well as winning our rights. Isoko Mizuno of a group of women in Aichi to protect Article 9 introduced a story of a woman secretary general who moved to Japan four months ago. “When my husband learned that I was coming to Japan for work, he decided to quick his job and we both came together,” she said. (By Toru Sakai)

Ayako Noguchi planned a demonstration via Twitter as a graduation project for PARC Free School “Now you an activist” workshop. “People talk about private company employees or public workers and the different benefits,” Noguchi said. “People are dragging each other or hesitant to say what needs to be said, and it leads to the deterioration of employment condition. Civil servants who have the good employment insurance should insist on their rights, use them and introduce the idea to the general public. My boss became angry when I exhausted paid holidays. People talk about how little they take paid holidays, and they almost sound so proud of it. Why are people hesitant to take paid holidays that actually are written in our labor law? Why do we have to apologize when we take vacation?” Noguchi and others plan to raise their voices on March 4 at Twitter demonstration about how Japan’s long working hours and un-used paid holidays are the root of all evil. Photo: Icon of Yukyu demonstration

Saturday, April 2, 2011

A protest was held against the government and Tokyo Electric Power Company on March 27 in response to the crisis at Fukushima nuclear power plant. It was the first protest ever where protesters demanded that all nuclear power plants be closed. LabourNet Japan has posted a Youtube clip of the protest (English subtitles available). Footage taken by Masanori Yumoto, Communications, LabourNet (4 mins 16 secs in length).